Statement For · Joanie Matter
statement appears humanCommittee: Michelle Bauer
Libraries make impacts! In 2025, $6.2 million worth of materials were borrowed by Stevens County residents – four times the amount collected in taxes. Thousands of children a week discover reading and strengthen school readiness skills through programs and storytimes at the seven library locations. Every child entering kindergarten prepared to learn saves local schools thousands of dollars. Passing this levy brings back evening and weekend hours! Voting “yes” increases the rate by 17 cents and would restore the levy rate to what it was twenty years ago, enabling the library to rehire staff to restore over 100 open hours/week. Stevens County Libraries are busy! Libraries are cornerstones of our communities. Last year, 23,367 different people used library Wi-Fi - about half the population of Stevens County. Over 20,000 residents attended library programs. Downloadable checkouts are up 854% since 2011. Teens find a welcoming after-school space; adults take online classes, and community members gather. Levies are the only way to fund libraries in order to keep pace with inflation. In Washington, libraries receive no state or federal operational funding and rely entirely on local taxes. There’s a state-mandated 1% tax increase cap, which totaled $17,100 in 2026. Annual increases of just 1% over 25 years doesn’t keep pace with the cost of doing business – minimum wage alone is up 250%. The library tax is about 4% of your property tax bill. The levy would increase your taxes by about $4.25/month (on a $300,000 home.)